Reply #7: I have few answers but a lot of commiseration!

[mntleo2]

...I might suggest that your hair dresser friend cater to older women like herself for one. Many older women (like me) do "not" like perky women hairdressers with spiked hair working on them. Oh sure, they are nice and all, but they are well ...young and do not always "get" what we older women want and need.

For instance, I noticed the other day where my son works (at a retirement home for the rich with assited care but are apartments too), that many of these women there had those hairdos where they get once a week and it stays that way. They are also getting their nails and toes done and as with older women (and you KNOW this) this is not always an easy thing to keep up as the health problems and other things are not something a younger person would know how to handle right. I just KNOW they pay a lot of money for the nails and hair and they have it to pay.

Would it help for your friend to convince someone she could rent a chair where she specializes in older women and then perhaps post a card at some of those places? I am *not* making this up ~ While I have long hair that only needs trimming once in awhile so I can get it into a bun, and I am not someone who has that kind of hair where you go once a week and "get it done," when I have found an older women who "gets" what I need, I love going to her for my own hair ~ and they are not easy to find!

I am a computer geek and I want you to know it is not always easy to find that work either as most of the people hiring are my children's age. I am also raising my three year old grand niece. We are poor and at my age I know I am doing well just to keep up with a three year old and my other grandchildren, much less have some kind of full time job so perhaps it is different for me, lol.

I am just working free lance for upper income older people to teach them how to use a computer and fix them, or help them buy a computer that they will be able to use, and I get that work by posting my information at homes like I mentioned. The people are nice (for the most part) and they can afford to pay something that is affordable to both of us. I do not have the energy to make a big business about it (I am on Social Security), nor can I see myself hopping up and getting to a job site like I did when I was young, but this way I work at my own pace and still make a little side money that buys my cats some vet care, etc. However often I have more work than I can do and have to turn people away and wish I had someone else to work with, and if I worked for an organized business or could network with others who also do this work so we could share the work AT MY PACE, it would sure make it easier, lol!

Have your friend PM me and plaese PM Me too, perhaps we need to make a DU older workers group on something like Yahoo or Google where we can get together and talk! I would love to talk to other older workers just to commiserate and brainstorm, who are struggling like I am!

Cat In Seattle